Goddamn, why did I have to find that kind of behavior so freaking hot? I could only blame it on the Guild. They raised me, they were responsible for all my damage.
I took my sweet time in the shower, not being in any particular hurry to rush back downstairs and put myself in the middle of their pissing match. But eventually paranoia took control, and I quickly towel dried and got dressed. I couldn’t shake the idea that they’d actually gone ahead and killed each other while I showered, so I hurried my cowardly ass down to the kitchen.
To my surprise, there was no blood splattered around, and everyone seemed to have full functionality of their limbs. Weird.
Even weirder still was how neither of them picked an argument for the whole meal. They didn’t exactly engage one another in conversation—in fact they seemed to totally ignore the other’s existence entirely—but they also didn’t antagonize each other.
It was… creepy.
Although I did have to laugh when Kai served everyone’s plates, and Leon very deliberately switched plates with me, then gave Kai a challenging look.
Kai just rolled his eyes and told me to eat. Apparently, poison was too immature for him.
After dinner I firmly informed them that I was going to bed alone, and this time I absolutely meant it. If I woke up with anyone else in my bed, they would be castrated.
Imagine my shock when I actually woke up alone the next morning. Not only had the guys taken me seriously about leaving me the fuck alone, I had also slept through the night. Double strange.
That sense of confusion remained while I got dressed and did my hair and makeup, but it eased exponentially when I realized my bedroom door was unlocked. I’d definitely locked it when I went to bed, which told me someone had picked my lock at some point in the night.
My money was on Leon.
It was backward as hell, but it brought a smile to my face, and I was in a much better mood by the time I got downstairs. Leon greeted me with a kiss and a whispered Merry Christmas, DeLuna, and I gaped at him. I’d lost track of my days so much that I didn’t even click what day it was.
It seemed like the guys had agreed on some sort of weird truce for the day, because they carefully avoided each other all damn day. Kai cooked an amazing meal for us, and Leon mixed me martinis, but they otherwise just pretended the other man didn’t exist.
Most surprisingly, Leon was drinking egg-nog. He didn’t strike me as an egg-nog kinda guy but Leon was full of surprises.
It was cute, domestic, but also super uncomfortable. I wanted the three of us to get along like that, but it all felt forced. Fake. I went to sleep that night feeling uneasy, like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
That same feeling was still with me when I woke the next day, but I gave myself a mental pep talk while getting dressed. Leon and Kai getting along was exactly what I wanted. What I needed. I shouldn’t be questioning that peace, no matter what had triggered it.
Leon was at the coffee machine when I got downstairs, and I acted on instinct, wrapping my arms around his waist.
“Good morning, Bunny,” I said, pressing a kiss to his back.
His hand covered mine, holding me close as he finished making the coffee he was working on. “How did you sleep?” he murmured, turning to face me and handing me the mug.
I narrowed my eyes. “As if you don’t know.”
His smile was pure mischief, and he sipped his own coffee. “What are we doing today, mon cœur?”
I took my coffee over to the island to slide onto a stool, giving myself some space to breathe and not jump his bones. Again. I was such a ho for Leon Marx.
“Sabine gave me a lead on Layla’s cache,” I said vaguely, “which wasn’t an option yesterday with businesses closed for Christmas. Where’s Kai this morning?”
Leon gave me a long look, and I arched a brow. Then he smiled. “Are you asking if he’s still alive, gorgeous?”
I sipped my coffee, then licked my lips. “Is he?” Was I worried? Yes. Yes, I was.
“He’s in the gym,” he finally told me, leaning his elbows on the island opposite me and giving me an intense look. “He had some aggression to work off… for some reason.”
I rolled my eyes. No doubt he’d been deliberately antagonizing Kai before I woke up. It was kind of a relief. “Alright, well, Sabby recommended I follow up on this lead alone, so…”
Leon’s brows raised, and he gave me a considering look. “You’re sidelining me? That’s new.”
I gave a low laugh. “If it helps, I’m also sidelining Kai. Will you both be alive when I return?”
He just shrugged. “Roll the dice, mon cœur. But if you want to sneak out without your six foot four Māori shadow, I suggest you leave before he sees you’re awake.”
I wrinkled my nose. I didn’t like the idea of sneaking out, but… he had a point. “Good thinking.” I took a few huge mouthfuls of the hot coffee, then put on my shoes and weapons that I’d dropped beside the island when I came into the kitchen. “You won’t be tempted to follow me, then?”
Leon barked a laugh. “Oh, precious. I never said that.”
I rolled my eyes, unable to hold back a smile. “Just stay out of sight. Sab warned me not to bring you guys along, or I wouldn’t get any answers.”
He gave an insulted gasp. “I’m not an amateur, DeLuna.”
“Shit,” I muttered, “if I just disappear, Kai is going to lose his mind.”
Leon gave an unconcerned shrug. “So?”
I shot him a flat glare, then pulled open a couple of drawers, hunting for a pen and paper. I gave a chuckle of surprise when I spotted a stash of condoms in one of the drawers—apparently, one of the last residents must have liked kitchen counter sex.
“Writing a note?” Leon murmured, peering over my shoulder. “How old school.”
I flashed him a smile. “Payback.” I scribbled out a vague note, paraphrasing Kai’s own note when he disappeared in the middle of the night. Then I looked around, debating where to leave it so he would find it before losing his shit.
“Give it to me,” Leon suggested, holding his hand out. “I’ll go post it under the gym doors so he can’t miss it.”
Biting my lip, I started to hand it over but gave him a granite glare. “You swear you won’t tear it up and then laugh while Kai thinks I’ve gone for good?”
Leon’s eyes glittered with mischief. “Roll the dice, DeLuna.”
With a sigh, I let him take the note from my hand and watched him carefully fold it in half. “Fine, in that case, I’m heading out. I’m anxious to see if Sabine was right about this idea, because seeing as you killed Layla’s uncle… it’s the best we’ve got.”
Leon winced. “No use crying over spilled milk.” Then he gave a thoughtful pause. “She does have a brother here in town… but to my knowledge, they never met. Maybe I’ll stop by for a chat with him instead of pretending I’m not following you.”
How curious. He leaned in to kiss me quickly, then sauntered off toward the gym with my note in his hand. I watched him go for a moment, then gave myself a mental shake. If I was going alone, I needed to go now.
Since I was already dressed and armed, I was on the road in a matter of minutes, heading into town. I’d been to Nadia’s Cakes when I’d been here previously. It had a solid reputation of being one of the best eateries in Shadow Grove. But I had no idea Nadia was such a town gossip.
I got a parking spot about a block away, then walked the rest of the way to the busy cafe. Every table was full when I arrived, and I checked the time in confusion. It wasn’t even eight in the morning, though. Nadia’s Cakes was just that busy.
“We only have seats at the counter at the moment, I’m sorry,” the waitress told me on arrival. She gestured to the handful of empty stools, and I gratefully accepted.
Once seated, I glanced around. “I was actually hoping to speak with Nadia, if she’s here?”
“She’s in back teaching Zoya how to make macarons at the moment, but I’ll let her know to come and see you.” The waitress gave me a warm smile. “Can I get you something to eat while you wait? They could be a while.”
I nodded my acceptance and told her to surprise me. She returned just a few minutes later, placing a plate and fork down in front of me. On it was a huge slice of chocolate mud cake and a healthy pile of whipped cream. An excellent breakfast in my opinion.
“Coffee’s on its way,” she told me, then turned away to serve someone else.